Essay 2: Cinephiliac Moment in the Film Jaws

Overview: Essay #2 is the second part of what eventually will be stitched together into a three-part discussion of various cinephiliac approaches to film. In the first part, you were asked to write about a film and show why, as a cinephiliac critic (real or imaginary), it is important for you to write: How have your life experience是, aesthetic values, and moral convictions influenced your taste and the need to make this taste public? The second part, essay #2, takes a more structured approach to film analysis, using the “cinephiliac moment” as the linchpin of analysis (see below). Essay #3 will ask you to reflect on the two first voices in which you will have written and explain where you stand in relation to the many models of cinephilia introduced in class.Essay #3 will also integrate a rewrite of essays #1 and #2. The resulting term paper will provide you with a chance to compose a 15-page paper, which is often requested upon application to advanced study programs.

Essay #2:Choose one, at most two “cinephiliac moments” in a single film. (You may choose any film, as long as it was not assigned to class. You may choose the same film you discussed in essay #1.) Explain why you regard the chosen elements as a cinephiliac moment, drawing on both your personal viewing experience and formal analysis (see below). Explain how appreciating and analyzing this moment contributes to your personal understanding of the film. Elaborate on how this cinephiliac moment reflects your commitment to film viewing as an aesthetic experience and/or moral act.

As you compose the essay, please make sure to follow these guidelines:

(1) Do not include plot summary. All references to films and descriptions of films should be motivated by your argument.

(2) Substantiate your arguments through formal analysis of the cinephiliac moment, paying attention to mise-en-scene, editing, and/or sound.

(3) When explaining elements of the cinephiliac moment, base your analysis on at least three of the readings assigned for this course; refer to specific passages in these sources.

(4) Comport with the following technical guidelines:

  (a) The essay should be double-spaced and in Times Roman font size 12. All text should be justified to the left.

  (b) The required length is 1,100-1,300 words.

  (c) Familiarize yourself with the UW’s regulations on plagiarism. Each and every case of suspected plagiarism will be referred to the Vice Provost for Student Affairs, whose actions may result in anything from on-file reprimand to expulsion. (Like newspaper critics, you can refer to other writings on the film, as long as you give them full credit.)

Grading: The essay is calculated at 24% of the final grade. Grading criteria include: (1) Writing in accordance with the essay prompt; (2) Clear and grammatically correct language; (3) Careful use of examples to substantiate your arguments